Derby Ace 5 vows to keep King James; Air21 eyes Rabeh, Baclao

MANILA, Philippines—Derby Ace will offer two-time MVP James Yap the maximum three-year contract once its gunslinger returns from a much-needed vacation as the Llamados start rebuilding the squad that won this season’s PBA Philippine Cup.   “He’s non-negotiable,” team governor and league chair Rene Pardo said of Yap, who won his second MVP this season, when asked if he would entertain offers from other teams with Yap’s contract set to expire at the end of September.   The team’s offer carries an option for Yap to extend it for another two years once the second season of the new deal ends, making the former University of the East standout stay with the team until he is 33 years old.   “I’m OK with three years,” Yap had earlier said.   Derby Ace will dangle a three-year pact because an unwritten league rule prohibits teams from offering deals that are longer unlike until early this decade when franchise players were being offered five-year deals.   There is a total of eight Derby Ace players with expiring deals and Roger Yap, its bull-strong guard, has already inked a two-year deal. Details of the fresh pact were not made known to the media, though.   Rafi Reavis, Paul Artadi, Don Allado, cancer survivor Rommel Adducul and second string guards Jonathan Fernandez and Chris Timberlake also have expiring deals.   Meanwhile, Air21 is seeking to become a truly hulking team with its plan to select former Ateneo big men Rabeh Al-Husseini, a two-time UAAP MVP, and Nonoy Baclao 1-2 in the annual Rookie Draft scheduled Aug. 29.   Tabbing the two agile centers would make the Express  forget their sad experience with Japeth Aguilar, last year’s No. 1 overall choice who suddenly wanted out of Air21 and chose to play for Smart Gilas.   If tapped first overall, Al-Husseini would become just the fourth player from Ateneo to be picked No. 1 following Alex Araneta with Alaska, Rich Alvarez with Shell and then Aguilar, who had a one-year stint as a Blue Eagle in the UAAP.   “Unless a major development happens between now and Draft Day, I think we will pick Al-Husseini and then Baclao,” said coach Yeng Guiao.   Because of several trades in the past, the Express also have the fourth and eighth overall selections, and Guiao said they will use them to exercise other options since the pool of talent is not that deep.